Read The Swedeby Robert Karjel Online

A Swedish security agent is summoned to interrogate a terror suspect held by the FBI —but the prisoner isn't the only one with something to hide.At a remote military base in the Indian Ocean, the FBI is trying to get a prisoner to confess. But the detainee, a suspect in an Islamist-inspired terror attack in the United States, refuses to talk.Ernst Grip, a Swedish securityA Swedish security agent is summoned to interrogate a terror suspect held by the FBI —but the prisoner isn't the only one with something to hide.At a remote military base in the Indian Ocean, the FBI is trying to get a prisoner to confess. But the detainee, a suspect in an Islamist-inspired terror attack in the United States, refuses to talk.Ernst Grip, a Swedish security officer, has no idea why he's been dispatched to New York City. The FBI agent he meets on arrival, Shauna Friedman, seems to know a little too much about him. And when he arrives at his real destination, the American authorities have just one question: Is their terror suspect a Swedish citizen?In the process of uncovering the prisoner's true identity, Grip discovers the man's ties to a group of other suspects—a ruthless American arms dealer, a Czech hit man, a mysterious nurse from Kansas, and a heartbreakingly naive Pakistani. The closer Grip gets to the truth, the more complicated the deception becomes. Who is real and who is leading a double life?...

Title

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The Swede

Author

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Robert Karjel

Rating

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ISBN

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9780062339584

Format Type

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Hardcover

Number of Pages

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352 Pages

Status

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Available For Download

Last checked

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21 Minutes ago!

The Swede Reviews

Jeffrey Keeten2018-12-12 03:12

”For several years---a fucking eternity---they let all the races on earth come at me: Arabs, Asians, Africans. The worst is always when they do it themselves, when the Americans make an appearance. Then it’s not just reckless. Then it gets very thorough.” Grip glanced at the camera in the wall.“Don’t worry, they can stand to hear what they already know.” Said N. “Oh, they’re inventive, but it’s not their methods that we’re going to talk about, it’s the result. I guess I’ve confessed to everything.”“Everything?”“Everything they wanted---signed, crawled, and prayed.”Rooms for Tourists by Edward Hopper”In one of Hopper’s paintings, there’s a small hotel. It’s in Provincetown, and it looks the same now as when he painted it in 1945. Whitewashed wood, two stories. If you walk past, you hardly notice it---but if you look at the painting, you long to spend the night there. Two ways for seeing one place.”The Sunset Inn, Provincetown, Cape CodWhen Ernst Grip, a Swedish Security Office, is called in by the FBI to identify the nationality of a prisoner who only calls himself N., he has no idea that in the course of unraveling the prisoner’s secrets his own carefully guarded secrets could be revealed as well. N. has been tortured for many years, and yet, during that time he gave them everything they wanted, but his name. Torturers want everything, every last piece of a man’s soul. They want to know every thought, every whisper, so something as simple as not being able to extract a man’s name must have really... pissed... them... off. ”How much have you thrashed him? He curls up in a ball and starts to hyperventilate whenever a human comes near him.”“Is he Swedish?”“How much? Every other day for a year---more? A guess: first electric shocks and waterboarding, then just kicks and punches when people get tired. …The nails are growing in again, but they look lumpy. Usually takes six months to get them back.”As Grip tries to make connections with the tortured man, Shauna Friedman of the FBI keeps dropping hints that she knows too much about Grip’s past. His “art” interests are particularly fascinating to her. They know the situation with N. is FUBARED, and so if things continue to go South, then they want to make sure they have leverage with Grip. Meanwhile, Robert Karjel takes us back in time to the Thailand tsunami that killed thousands of people. N. and a small group of other survivors, still in shock from the loss of people they loved, hear a preacher from Topeka, Kansas, Charles-Ray Turnball Fred Phelps makes a speech broadcasted on the radio saying the tsunami was God’s punishment. They decide that some form of retribution needs to be extended to Charles-Ray. It is interesting because I knew a Christian couple who commented about God’s punishment on the people of New Orleans after Katrina. ‘Those degenerates in that God forsaken den of iniquity had it coming.’ I shouldn’t be, but I’m still always shocked when I hear Christians gleefully talking about punishments. It seems to be their favorite role for their God to smite, to discipline. This couple moved from Kansas to Florida. They returned to Kansas after their house in Florida was destroyed by a hurricane. Now that is karmic punishment I can support! Using their own Christian formula then they must be degenerates as well, otherwise “God” would have left their house standing. Grip has that something something that women find interesting that goes beyond just physical attractiveness. It could be his confidence or his moody indifference. His conquests are well known among his colleagues in the security service. They’d be shocked to know he is discovering that he is...gay. He has the same appeal with men that he has with women. When he meets Ben on a vacation to New York, he finds someone he can love. The only problem is Ben is dying of AIDS and running out of money. In the cash or perish system of the United States healthcare system, Ben is going to die much sooner than later. Ben has underground connections with disreputable art collectors who want to possess art that is owned by others or that is locked up in museums. Grip, the man known as The Swede, has the right background to not only get around security, but also get away with the crime. ”Their shapes, almost human, but not quite. You can’t resist wanting to touch them. Even own them. …“They’re beautiful,” Grip said.“Man and woman, in the same form.” Jean Arp sculptures.Robert Karjel, a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force, has spent a lot of time working with the American armed forces. He knows Americans well enough to take a few pokes at some of the issues that have been dividing America. Torture, the definition of torture, and whether torture actually produces any actionable data are still being debated in the United States. The way government administrations have gotten around laws against torture by having suspects tortured by our allies makes me sick to my stomach. Asking others to do what we as a nation have finally condemned is frankly cowardly and going against the wishes of most Americans. Karjel, by putting Ben’s plight in the novel, certainly provides commentary on a health system that has in the past only been for those that can afford it. I’m one of those people that believe that healthcare is a right not a luxury. We still have a lot of improvement to do on our current healthcare system, but the Affordable Healthcare Act was an important step forward. Charles-Ray Turnbull is based on Fred Phelps, an angry and bigoted man who actively spread hate and discrimination all over the United States. He spent over $200,000 a year travelling to funerals to protest the existence of those he despised.Karjel brings another issue to light by using the character Charles-Ray Turnbull, who is of course based on Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church fame, who so publicly protested at the funerals of US servicemen and known homosexuals. At one point his group had planned to protest at a funeral in Dodge City. I had begun to talk with others about organizing a human chain to keep him from interrupting the funeral, but fortunately he cancelled his plans to come to Dodge City. He died a few years ago, but unfortunately his website godhatesfag and others are still up and operational. I can’t imagine that JC would have approved of the methods of a man like Fred Phelps. He went to school at Washburn University in Topeka, but he was born and bred in Meridian, Mississippi, so though I have to live with the shame that such a creature managed to keep a congregation in Kansas, at least I know the seeds of his hate were first sowed elsewhere. The various threads of the story of this thriller seem far apart, but as the novel progresses we see those threads moving closer together until they begin to touch and overlap. True identities are revealed in the final pages, and the twists of the plot are untangled to bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. There have been comparisons to John le Carré with this novel which I don’t really agree with. I think this book is much more accessible for a larger readership than a standard le Carré novel. The plot elements reminded me more of the Peter Swanson novels that I’ve read recently. The book is clever, but not ponderously so. It was a pleasant surprise. I certainly look forward to Robert Karjel’s next book. If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.comI also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten

Sofia2018-12-05 21:56

Great, Gripping, Intelligent read…..Buckets loads of drama - but it’s not the kind that is so melodramatically shoved into your face and you have to sit there and take it. No Karjel gives us wheels, within wheels all turning to give us an intelligent, subtle thriller. A thriller which made me suspicious but still surprised when these suspicions were proved to be correct. A thriller which had me at the edge of my seat, hoping, anxious, worried, admiring, loving right till the end.Although this book is not a romance per se, the great ‘love’ shown with so few words is the base on which the story is built and something which I found really beautiful.This is a story of how sharks with their own particular agendas swim around and prey on those they find weaken by need. How the prey are used as pawns in games, lethal games played in the name of greed and yes justice. And always the injustice of this world makes me so angry, because even death is unequal. Because some deaths are considered more important than others.Like Ernst the book views America from the moral high ground of the sidelines. For me this balances out the constant view pushed by other media of America as the moral arbitrer.Hopper Seven am - Ernst Grip’s favourite painting With a nod to the reviewers who complained I give you this WARNING - This books is about human beings in all their wholesome and unwholesome glory. The Truth About Diego Garcia - The truth about the U.S. military base on the British-controlled Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia is often hard to believe.A fantastic read with Lena - thank you for the company and discussion :D

Bey Deckard2018-11-27 19:51

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Rather liked the writing style—descriptive but on point. Loved all the intrigue. Loved how it all came together.

(Audiobook review) This book was recently reviewed by a friend, and since we have similar tastes, I decided to try it. I'm glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to admit that the parts related to the Tsunami were somewhat difficult to read because they were so emotional. The author did a great job of weaving two stories together and kept me guessing until, almost, the end. And I thought the narrator, William Hope, did an excellent job too.Side note: I thinks it's sad that this book was less than well received by some American readers because of the main character being gay. According to the author, he was asked to make the MC straight so that the book would be more acceptable to the US market. I'm glad to say the author didn't give in. It's not like there are explicit gay sex scenes or anything so I'm not sure why some US readers felt so threatened. Oh well - they're missing out on a really great read. The 'gayness' of the MC is only a small, but integral, part of the plot.

KatieMc2018-11-26 19:04

Who doesn't love a Scandinavian crime novel? Why is that? I never know how to review these sorts of books. No use describing the plot, other than to say it's clever and toys with your mind. Read it and enjoy.

Lena♥Ribka2018-11-26 00:45

EXCELLENT!!!My hubby loves to watch cooking shows and sometimes I watch them with him.It is why the first thing that came spontaneously on my mind - I blame him for this because HIS cooks like to use it- a symphony of delicious flavors. You know the one that touch all of the senses and causes an explosion of flavors in your mouth, like the eruption of Mount Etna.It is exactly what Robert Karjel did to me: with his The Swede he offered me a 5-course menu à la carte: magnificent, superb, terrific, fantastic, simply great.I honestly don't understand an average rating here - not the first time in my life though - but how often did you come across a book that you wanted already to rate with 5 stars halfway up to the end? I knew around 50% that I have been reading something special: a multilayered complex and INGENIOUS story line, soooooo brilliantly written (sincerest thanks to Nancy Pick, the translator, I know what a difficult job it is, but she did it perfectly) and THE CHARACTERS....THE CHARACTERS are..( I need Nancy Pick to translate for me!..)It is when I have to say some words about THE SWEDE. There are two of them in this book: Ernst Grip, a Swedish security officer, and N., a prisoner with an unknown nationality, presumable SWEDISH, but Ernst has to prove it. The original title of this book is actually My Name Is N . But if you read The Swede, then you think about Ernst Grip as THE SWEDE. Well at least I do. I don't want to tell about the plot, because it is twisted and unique and soooo clever and I don't want to spoil you anything. This book has EVERYTHING to offer:spy thriller, nature catastrophe, romance (not in the main focus though), religious fanatics, art, suspense, policy, great writing, mysterious and captivating story, fabulous characters and wow-ending. Just go and read it. ASAP.For your information: -> This book has been nominated for the 28th Lambda Literary Award in the category Gay Mystery. It is WHY I decided to read it. Honestly, I would have probably skipped it - the rating wasn't very impressive and I wouldn't have discovered this book otherwise if it hadn't landed on the "lammy" list. It is why I am grateful to the jury for nominating this book and thereby made me aware of it.- > Robert Karjel is a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force. (I'm impressed, and not only because of the back cover that has a photo of him in his flight suit.) I've never thought that helicopter pilots could have such an interesting hobby like writing. - > Don't read it if you want in the first place a romance. It is NOT a romance, it is in the first place a great psychological thriller.-> Be warned: it is a thriller with a bisexual hero. It seems that some readers have problems with it.-> It is exactly why I have to warn you: FEELINGS, TENSION, GUNS, BLOOD, INTERROGATIONS, RELIGIOUS FANATICS, TSUNAMI... and THE SWEDE. But if you decide not to read it, it is your own fault. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!*** Reading with Sofia, starting on the 18th April 16. It was my pleasure as always.

Averin2018-12-16 19:04

Edge of your seat suspense. Magnificent story, I've been struggling for days on how to write the review. This book kept me awake, tuned out my new job, every time I put it down I was thinking about it. If you are a gung ho, Trumpeter, or a homophobe, this book is not for you. If you are a rational American able to recognize the that decisions in Washington aren't always good for the USA let alone the rest of the world, you will enjoy this tale. Not that the entire book is bagging on America, there is a subtle dig about the unsolved assassination of Olof Palme, too. What if you lost everything including your identity in the tsunami of 2004? Maybe you decide to not come forward, remain missing. And someone, lumps your losses and everyone else's into a "they deserved it, they were sinners" claim. You've already lost everything, why not target your rage?Or what if you'd been a total ladies man, a champion sex machine, only to realize you have no connection to what goes on? Then one day, you discover a whole new universe of sex, gay sex, and you, the untouched fall for one man. A man with vulnerabilities that make you vulnerable too. These are the struggles of the two main protagonists. Like any suspense or mystery book, pay attention to the details, although the writing is quite lovely and my attention wandered into moments of envy. Eleven stars.

Adam2018-12-01 22:46

My Name is N has some great themes that are well explored. There is no black and white in this book, it is all shades of grey. I was particularly captivated by the idea of changing identity and the effects on ones behaviour and the repercussions on both the individual and those around them. It also looks into the dark recesses of modern security forces, and again focusses on what that means for the individuals in "the system". A great book.

When this review book arrived it was added to the teetering pile beside the couch, from where it was plucked by my partner on a cold Saturday afternoon, probably because he couldn't be bothered moving too far. Which turned out to be the last movement he made for quite some time. Needless to say he was enthralled enough to tweak my interest.The territory covered in MY NAME IS N is wide and unexpected. From the 2004 Thailand tsunami a group of people emerge united in their loss, eventually determined to wreak havoc against a bigoted religious leader who uses the tsunami and deaths as an excuse to peddle vile crap. Needless to say it's not too hard to figure out the so called "preacher" that this character is based on, although it is rather hard, under those circumstances, to agree with the label of "Islamist-inspired" as it seems a lot more about "as you sow, so shall you reap".The plot is complicated enough to mean that reader's will need to pay attention, particularly in the early stages, as the action moves backwards and forwards between events post the tsunami and the story of Ernst Grip, the Swedish security policeman summoned to the US to assist with the identification of a mysterious prisoner held in a high security CIA location - worse it seems than Guantánamo Bay. Exactly why Grip is the man who receives this summons isn't completely clear, nor is it really obvious what he's supposed to be achieving there, but he goes, meets with the prisoner known as N and eventually finds out a lot more than he bargained for.Eagle-eyed readers of MY NAME IS N may opt to draw some educated conclusions about the possible connections between all of these events, and they could very well be spot-on. Whilst some of the outcomes aren't that difficult to foresee, the pathways getting there are nicely complicated, and frequently unexpected. Even if you do play the guessing game, it's an entertaining read, but if you're not even trying, just going with the flow, there is even more potential for entertainment and surprises.Along the way there's some interesting storylines - Ernst Grip's double life between New York and Sweden, and the lengths he goes to for love is one thing, but the efforts undertaken by the tsunami effected five are another thing altogether. It might not even be hard to barrack for their efforts, even though some of their methods are violent and extreme.Robert Karjel, the author of MY NAME IS N, has spent time working with American armed services in his role as a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force. His commentary on the set-up of clandestine bases, and the extremes of torture seems to be informed not just by experience, but also an outsider's viewpoint. His skewering of the horribleness of somebody blaming the victims after a major natural disaster is spot-on, and makes the motive behind the Kansas attack uncomfortably sympathetic. As the story unfolds there's plenty of doubt left about the identity of N, about the possibility of Grip knowing more or less than he seems, and what the possible reasons are for N's incarceration. Everything winds together nicely here, using plenty of action and pace, and just enough real-life reflections as well as "what if" scenarios to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and, as is less often the case in thrillers, wondering about the greyness of right and wrong.http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

Personally, I usually find books on crime, FBI, terrorism etc. to be more male-oriented, however when I received this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program I was very excited to read this thriller before its release date.I was immediately drawn in with a quick plunge into action and mystique. As the plot continued, the characters continued to develop as secrets about them were revealed. As we learn more about the main character, Ernst Grip, a Swede (but is he THE Swede?) we see that he is a lot more than he appears to be on the surface.It was interesting reading a book originally written for a non-American audience. The translation was very good, but the overall attitude toward America (not necessarily bad but just. . . what it is), was exactly what I had encountered when traveling through Europe and speaking with Europeans. We've made quite a name for ourselves around the world!The plot twists are surprising and well-timed, and (without spoiling anything) something happens at the end which I found to be quite clever, though it did have me paging back through the book to try and determine whether the character making the discovery had any reason to know that which he was discovering (I couldn't determine for sure).I see this book selling very well and think it would make a great movie.

Ben2018-12-01 19:54

"The Swede" by Robert KarjelThis book will keep you guessing all the way to the last page. Intricate, well- written, deftly plotted,with interesting, enigmatic characters in some very different locations. I began to read the book one evening and finished it the next mid-afternoon, and when I turned the last page, I smiled. That good.One of the last images in the book is of a Three- Card Monte game, you know the old pea- under- which- of - three- shells game. This was a fitting ending to refreshingly different spy/ crime/ thriller. And that is about all the background to the plot I can give."The Swede" of the title is a Swedish security officer Ernst Grip, who is asked by authorities to fly to NYC to help,in identifying an unidentified " person of interest" who refuses to talk, but who may be Swedish. But why particularly Ernst Grip?That's it. No more hints to spoil your enjoyment of a really enjoyable ride.Highly Recommended. Notes: a bit of sexual references. A bit of violence. Neither grossly exaggerated for titillation or effect. This book does not need it.

Tony Nielsen2018-12-11 22:43

I hadn't heard of Robert Karjel before but it turns out he is uniquely placed in his day job to write a sweeping thriller along the lines of "My name is N". Robert is a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force and his role as a helicopter pilot has taken him everywhere. He's also written four thrillers and this is the first published in English. Five stars. Yes, definitely. This is an intriguing story involving Ernst Grip of Sweden's Security Police and a mysterious prisoner being held at a secret US bas. The prisoner is known only as N, and Grip is flown to New York and onto a remote military base to help determine whether N is Swedish and what his background is. Along the way we get to hear about a daring bank robbery in Topeka, Kansas, Grip's secret visits from Sweden to New York, and a shady quartet who hatched the plan for the Topeka bank raid. Slowly but surely N and Ernst develop a relationship and the truth unfolds, arriving at a stunning conclusion.

Kay2018-12-14 20:50

Excellent international thriller with a couple of flaws that I regretfully could not ignore. Without giving too much away: The final twist I saw coming fairly early. Those who are not fans of the genre might have missed it. A second complaint lies with the characters. They are generally unappealing. Despite all this, the story, viewpoint and overall execution were fascinating. I would be interested in reading another in the series. (I understand this is the first novel of a planned series.) Highly recommended.

Janet Martin2018-12-19 02:11

A solidly good thriller with an interesting viewpoint on life in the US--much of the action takes place in either the US or US territory. A really good translation.

Jax2018-12-04 20:43

I think this could easily be picked apart for flaws (unlikelihoods, let's say), but it kept my attention and I read it during every spare moment over two days.

Giulio2018-11-20 02:54

So good!

theresak2018-12-02 20:52

Well done. A thinking person's thriller.

Denise2018-11-27 20:51

A Swedish security agent with a secret, an unidentified prisoner who may or may not be his countryman held in a clandestine CIA-run detention facility in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and a series of flashbacks to an eclectic multinational group of five survivors of the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand getting caught up in an ambitious criminal plot that isn't what it seems - these are the ingredients out of which Robert Karjel constructs an intelligent, gripping, multilayered thriller based on an understated yet all-important romance with an intricate plot that emerges bit by bit and kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. It's a shame that this is the only book by this author available in English so far, but it seems the sequel to this one has been translated into German, so I do believe I'll see about getting my hands on a copy of that soonish.

For me, this was a 2 star. I almost didn't finish, but the fact that he was gay, I upped it to a three star rating.First, let me tell you what this is NOT. It is not a thriller. It is not fast paced. It is not linear.It is a mystery, and there are a few twists and turns to it, and I liked how both storylines tied together in the end.For me, it could have been told faster, if that makes sense. But that is how I read. I am a very impatient reader. I don't want to know every little detail. I skimmed a number of pages, especially when being told the story of N. Also Ernst's background got skimmed.With that being said, I think for many people this would be a great book to read. The author is a very good writer, and if you like the more long winded stories with very good detail, this is a great read. If you are impatient like me and just want to get to the end, it could be a tough read.I will say that once all of the storylines/flashbacks conjoined, I really enjoyed the book.

A really good thriller that twists and turns until it all comes together in the end. Some I had figured out but there were still plenty surprises. Not for the thin skinned as there is some anti-American sentiment in this book. I did enjoy the story and since I've read a lot of 3 stars lately this one excited me.

John Ballin2018-11-29 19:48

Unexpectedly great book. Read a review and added it to Kindle to check out with no real expectations. Fine book through abut the 80% mark and then twist's and turns galore that ended up with one final one that really had me shaking my head. Check it out.

Marge2018-11-19 23:04

I love these translated Scandinavian mysteries and this one is a humdinger (do you like that word?) A Swedish security officer is summoned to New York to help solve an identity crisis.

Nadine Jones2018-11-24 00:52

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015...

AK2018-12-08 00:02

Audiobook Review:I didn’t know anything about this book beforehand. I picked it up randomly off the shelf at the library; it seemed like something I would like. I had high hopes for it, but I just couldn’t get into it.I did not like the actor’s performance. Whenever the main character spoke, it was done in a low, almost, whisper. Every other character was read at a normal volume. And for whatever reason, it seemed every American character had a southern accent. I was ready for the book to end by the second disc. The story was slow and I found the characters unappealing. I would not recommend this book to a friend. It was a grind.

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